Chapter 65 – The Journey Continues: From Train to River
⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.
Summary
After a week of travel, the train stops at Makarov late at night. The deportees are herded into a large barn-like building. Lina’s mother collapses from exhaustion; Mrs. Rimas and Lina help her walk. Kretzsky, the NKVD guard who traveled with them, arrives and orders them onward. Lina’s mother calls him “Nikolai,” which Jonas later questions suspiciously. The next morning, the prisoners are fed bread and soup to strengthen them for work. They are then taken to a bathhouse, where Lina reluctantly undresses among the women. After showering, they are trucked to the banks of the Angara River. The repeater insists they are going to America via the Lena River and Bering Strait, but Lina remembers Andrius’s doubtful expression and questions this hope.
Key Events
- The train stops at Makarov; deportees are forced to walk to a large building.
- Lina’s mother collapses and is helped by Lina and Mrs. Rimas.
- Kretzsky appears; Mother addresses him as “Nikolai,” shocking Jonas.
- Morning brings rations of bread and mushroom soup; the repeater insists they are being fattened for America.
- The group is separated by gender and taken to a bathhouse; Lina feels humiliated but complies.
- After bathing, they are loaded onto trucks and driven to the Angara River.
- The repeater describes a fantastical route to America; Lina recalls Andrius’s ambiguous face when he told them they were on “the list.”
Character Development
- Lina: Her resilience grows as she cares for her mother and endures the bathhouse with grim practicality. Her inner doubt about America shows a maturing skepticism.
- Mother (Elena): Her physical weakness is stark, yet she uses her secret knowledge (calling Kretzsky “Nikolai”) to navigate the danger. Her laugh at the prospect of bathing reveals a flicker of hope.
- Jonas: His sharp observation – “How does she know?” – indicates his protective suspicion and growing awareness that their mother hides something.
- Kretzsky: His reappearance deepens the mystery. He is no ordinary guard; his connection to Mother suggests a past or a deal.
- The Repeater: His obsessive talk of “America” contrasts with the grim reality, highlighting the psychological need for hope among the displaced.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- Dehumanization vs. Dignity: The bathhouse scene strips Lina of modesty, yet she finds strength in anonymity. Her realization that her body is no longer “feminine” underscores the deprivation suffered.
- Secrecy and Survival: Mother’s use of Kretzsky’s first name hints at hidden alliances or information. This secret knowledge may be a survival tool.
- False Hope: The repeater’s America narrative represents the delusion that keeps people moving, while Lina’s intuitive distrust suggests hope can be dangerous.
- The Angara River: Symbolizes a point of no return – once boarded, the deportees are committed to an uncertain future deeper into Siberia.
Why This Chapter Matters
Chapter 65 marks the transition from rail to a new leg of the journey (by truck and likely boat). It introduces the possibility of America as a destination, while simultaneously deepening the mystery of Kretzsky and Mother’s relationship. The bathhouse scene illustrates the systematic humiliation of the deportees, yet also their fragile humanity. Lina’s doubt about America foreshadows that no easy escape awaits them. This chapter solidifies the emotional and physical toll of displacement and the secrets that bind the family together.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does Jonas react so strongly to Mother calling Kretzsky “Nikolai”?
Jonas knows that NKVD guards are usually addressed by rank, not first names. Mother’s familiarity suggests a prior relationship or secret deal – something Jonas feels he should have known. It shatters his trust in her transparency.
2. What does Lina’s hesitation in the bathhouse reveal about her state of mind?
Her reluctance to undress shows she still clings to personal dignity and modesty, even after months of deprivation. Yet her observation that her body is “androgynous” reveals how hunger has stripped away her femininity, forcing her to see herself as only a surviving body.
3. How does the author use the repeater’s dialogue to contrast hope with reality?
The repeater’s certainty about traveling to America via the Lena and Bering Strait is calmly logical but geographically absurd – a journey of months. Lina’s memory of Andrius’s knowing face undercuts his optimism, suggesting that “the list” may not lead to freedom but to another camp.